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Nuttigste klantenrecensies op Amazon.com

Amazon.com:
4,7 van 5 sterren
9 recensies

Magpie

5,0 van 5 sterren6 stars!!

10 mei 2019 - Gepubliceerd op Amazon.com

Geverifieerde aankoop

It has been a long time since I enjoyed a book as much as this one! characters are strong and each has their own foibles. The plot is convoluted and the sense of place haunting. It is an outstanding achievement by a non-Czech author to capture the place in its present and past versions. Highly recommended - if 6 stars were possible this book and the others in the series would get them!

Slaughter and Forgetting is the second book in the Josef Slonský Investigations series by British author, Graham Brack. Despite his age, it’s just been established that Lieutenant Slonský won’t be retiring yet, so he gets stuck into a case. Retired cop, Edvard Holoubek draws his attention to a cold case from almost thirty years back, in the bad old days when the StB (security police) struck fear into the hearts of many. Now ninety, Holoubek feels guilty because he knows the wrong man was “tried” and hung for the murder of a teenaged girl back in 1976.

Involving the StB as the case does, Slonský is likely to step on a few toes, so he asks his Captain for the go-ahead: “I would back you to find the killer of Jana Válková if anyone can. You’re an obstinate, insubordinate, disorganised nuisance and the bane of my life much of the time, but you’re also the best detective I’ve got.”

But soon after Holoubek has delivered some pertinent papers to Slonský, he is struck down and killed, after stepping off the tram, by a dark blue VW Multivan. Definitely hit-and-run, so now there are, effectively, two cases. That needs a lot of searching through the archives and files, as well as legwork; luckily, Slonský currently has extra manpower (well, woman power) in the form of Officer Kristýna Peiperová, who is very intelligent as well as being attractive. And as long as he keeps them separated, Navrátil gets some work done instead of gazing besottedly at Peiperová.

And then Slonský’s wife turns up, with a disturbing revelation for Josef, who has believed himself divorced from Věra Slonská for thirty-five years. Handily, a chance remark she makes pings an idea in Slonský’s mind, but before a lot of smart detective work puts the guilty parties safely behind bars, there will be a kidnapping, a rescue, several dramatic arrests and revelations of thirty-year-old (somewhat dis-)organised crime, corruption, cover-ups, rape, torture, drugs, and some interesting cat-burglaries.

Readers by now familiar with Josef Slonský are still repeatedly reminded of his established priorities (food and drink): “Although Slonský had never been one for flattering any authority figure he laid it on with a trowel where the canteen ladies were concerned since, in his view, the canteen was the hub of the Czech police force and it was impossible to detect on an empty stomach; or, indeed, a stomach filled with lettuce, which was more or less the same thing.” The regular cast is again there to be ordered about, insulted, admonished, cajoled and, very occasionally, praised, as the reader gets to know each of them, with all their virtues and their very human flaws, a little better.

The dialogue, as ever, provides plenty of humour, as do some of Slonský’s distinctly irregular methods for getting co-operation and confession. And even when his plan isn’t clear to the reader, let alone to his team, his proven track record and understated brilliance ensure confidence in the result. Still clueless, Navrátil‘s jaw may drop when Slonský casually remarks “I suppose we might as well go and arrest the killers” but the reader can trust that he has it all in hand.

Brack gives the reader an easily believable plot and deftly demonstrates one of the main problems with solving cold cases and seeing justice done: that witnesses and perpetrators grow old, and forget, and die. Some of his word usage gives the story a distinctly Eastern European feel. As there are spoilers for Lying and Dying throughout the story, reading this series in order is advisable. Similarities to Mick Herron’s writing have been mentioned by reviewers and the comparison is indeed a valid one: fans of Herron’s work are in for a delightful treat here too. Readers will be eager for Death on Duty, the third instalment of this brilliant Czech-flavoured crime fiction.This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by Sapere Books.

Lieutenant Josef Slonsky receives a visit from retired police officer Edvard Holoubek about a case dating back to 1976. A young woman was brutally stabbed in her home and although the suspect hanged for the murder, Holoubek has always believed the man was framed. Although the Czech Republic is no longer under the Communist regime, Slonsky must still tread carefully when reopening this case. Someone wants this cold case to remain closed and will do whatever it takes to keep the truth from coming out.

This is the second book in the Josef Slonsky Investigations series, which is set in Prague, Czech Republic. I love this unique setting and enjoy the equally unique character of Slonsky. I love Slonsky's irreverent sense of humor and quick wit. His one lines remind me of another brilliant detective, Colin Dexter's Inspector Morse. Slonsky may give the appearance of caring more about his sausage and beer than his job, but he really cares about crime victims and will fight to get justice for them. Slonsky also loves his country and is happy the dark days of Communism are behind them. As Slonsky talks about what he remembers with his friends and the two young detectives he is mentoring, I learned a lot of about what things were like in Czechoslovakia in the fifties and sixties.

The investigation into what really happened to young Jana Valkova as well as who was behind the framing of an innocent man the subsequent cover-up is intriguing and leads to Slonksy, his partner Navratil, and new officer Peiperova finding themselves in more than one scary situation. There is a bit of a thriller mixed in with this well-written, entertaining police procedural. I was on the edge of my seat when a member of the team is in danger. Mixed in with the investigation of a very vicious murder from the past with a new murder as the unknown person behind the cover-up scrambles to cover his tracks is some lightness. I really enjoy the banter between Slonsky and Navratil, as well as between Slonsky and his boss Captain Lukas. I love the grown Slonsky shows as he realizes he enjoys being a mentor to both Navratil and Peiperova and how he handles the romantic relationship between the two young officers.

I was surprised by how the case concluded and couldn't have guessed the explanation into the complex chain of events that had occurred. Although I had read the first book in the series, this follow-up reads as a standalone. However, readers who start with this one and enjoy it will definitely want to go back and read the excellent debut in the series. I rate "Slaughter and Forgetting" 4.5 stars and highly recommend it to those who like police procedurals or just a good mystery in a setting unfamiliar to many readers. The author's note at the end says there will be a third book coming out soon, and I can't wait!

I received this book through the courtesy of Sapere Books. The book was provided to me in exchange for an honest review.